Organic matter composition and dynamics in a northern hardwood forest ecosystem 15 years after clear-cutting

Soil organic matter (SOM) plays an important role in governing soil properties and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. Clear-cutting alters the SOM cycle by changing decomposition rates and organic matter (OM) inputs to the forest ecosystem. We studied the 15-year clear-cutting response on the properties and composition of SOM at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in New Hampshire. Solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to study the structural chemistry of SOM in whole soils and extracted humic substances. Overall, alkyl C and O-alkyl C were the dominant C fractions in soils and humic substances. Alkyl C accounted for 38–49% of the total NMR signal intensity in soils and 33–56% in humic substances. O-alkyl C accounted for 32–45% of the signal intensity in soils and 20–31% in humic substances. Following clear-cutting, the contribution of O-alkyl C increased in whole soils and humic acids of the Oa horizon, while alkyl C decreased in whole soils and humic acids of Oa and Bh horizons. Thus, the ratio of alkyl C to O-alkyl C, an index of the degree of decomposition of SOM, decreased in whole soils and humic acids after clear-cutting, indicating that the SOM in post-harvest soils is less decomposed relative to pre-harvest soils. On average, humic substances accounted for 47% of SOM. The concentration of humic acid decreased by up to 25% in Oa, E and Bh horizons after clear-cutting, while the concentration of fulvic acid decreased by more than 40% in the Oa and E horizons. Together, these results indicate that clear-cutting resulted in the loss of humic substances from the forest floor and upper mineral horizons, which was replaced by less decomposed OM in the post-clear-cut soils under the regrowing forest.     

日本常规耕作和有机耕作(翻耕与免耕)农田的动物区系(螨和线蚓)比较

Nitrogen forms of humic substances from a subalpine meadow soil,a lateritic red soil and a weathered cola and the effect of acid hydrolysis on N structures of soil humic substances were studied by using ^15N cross-polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance(CPMAS NMR) spectroscopy,Of the detectable ^15N-signal intensity in the spectra of soil humic substances 71%-79% may be attributed to amide groups ,10%-18% to aromatic/aliphatic amines and 6%-11% to indole-and pyrrole-like N.Whereas in the spectrum of the fulvic acid from weathered coal 46%,at least,of the total ^15N-signal intensity might be assigned to pyrrole-like N,14% to aromatic/aliphatic amines,and the reamining intensities could not be assigned with certainty,Data on nonhydrolyzable reside of protein-sugar mixture and a ^15N-labelled soil fulvic acid confirm the formation of nonhydrolyzable heterocyclic N during acid hydrolysis.     

Soil microbial biomass and organic matter composition in soils under cultivation

To determine whether there is a relationship between the composition of soil organic matter and the activity of the soil microbial biomass, the composition of the organic matter in 12 typical arable soils in Northwest Germany was investigated by wet chemical analysis and CPMAS cross polarization magic angle spinning ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. The data were correlated with the microbial biomass as estimated by substrate-induced respiration. A strong correlation between the microbial biomass and alkylic C compounds was observed (r=-0.960^***). Recalcitrant substances were enriched in this fraction, which were classified as humic acids according to the wet chemical procedure. The microbial decomposition of these humic acids is probably retarded, due to their chemical structure and/or physical bonding, when the soil microbial biomass activity is limited.     

Spatial variations of chemical composition, microbial functional diversity, and enzyme activities in a Mediterranean litter (Quercus ilex L.) profile

Litter decomposition on the forest floor is an essential process in soil nutrient cycles and formation. These processes are controlled by abiotic factors such as climate and chemical litter quality, and by biotic factors such as microbial community diversity and activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of litter depth with respect to (i) chemical litter quality as evaluated by solid-state ¹³C NMR, (ii) enzyme activities, and (iii) microbial functional diversity in four different litter layers (OLn, OLv, OF, and OH). A Mediterranean soil profile under an evergreen oak (Quercus ilex L.) forest was used as a model. The recalcitrant OM fraction, corresponding to the deepest layer, showed low enzyme activities. Peroxidases and fluorescein diacetate hydrolases (FDA) were more active in the OLn layer and probably originated largely from plants. High cellulase activity in the OLn and the OLv layers, which are rich in polysaccharides, corresponded with the high content of O-alkyl carbon compounds. Following polysaccharide degradation, laccases and lipases were much more evident in the intermediate layers. This spatial variation in nutrient demand reflected a preferential degradation of the specific plant polymers. Phosphatases were more active along the three upper layers and probably reflected a P limitation during litter degradation. Alkaline/acid (AcPAlP/AcP) ratio increased in the deepest layer, suggesting an increased participation of bacteria AlP in phosphatase pools. Results of Biolog^TM also indicated spatial variations in microbial functionality. Indeed, FF plates showed the highest functional diversity in the uppermost layer, while ECO plate functional diversity was highest in the intermediate layers. Finally, our results indicated that microbial activity and functional diversity of micro-organisms change with litter depth on a very small scale and vary with chemical organic matter (OM) composition. Thus, the observed increases in the biological variables studied were determined by the evolution of OM chemical structures, the nature and availability in C nutrients, and they ultimately resulted in a progressive accumulation of recalcitrant compounds.     

Assessing management impacts on soil organic matter quality in subtropical Australian forests using physical and chemical fractionation as well as C NMR spectroscopy

Successful soil organic matter (SOM) quality assessment is needed to improve our ability to manage forest soils sustainably. Our objective was to use a multivariate data set to determine whether the land use conversion from native forest (NF) to hoop pine plantation and the following rotation and site preparation practices had altered SOM quality at three adjacent sites of NF, first (1R) and second rotation (2R, including tree planting row (2R-T) and windrow of harvest residues (2R-W)) of hoop pine plantations in southeast Queensland, Australia. Cross-polarization magic angle spinning ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (CPMAS ¹³C NMR) spectroscopy and sequential hot water and acid hydrolysis were conducted on SOM fractions separated by wet-sieving and density fractionation procedures to characterize SOM quantitative and qualitative relevant parameters, including carbon (C) functional groups, C and nitrogen (N) contents, C/N ratios, and C and N recalcitrant indices. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and principal component analysis (PCA) of these multivariate parameters together indicated a complicated interaction between physical protection and biochemical recalcitrance, making the land use and management induced changes of SOM quality more complex. Knowledge of PCA based on the refined set of 41 SOM quantitative and qualitative parameters identified that principal component 1 (PC1), which explained 55.7% of the total variance, was most responsible for the management induced changes in soil processes. This was reflected by the dynamics of SOM regarding the aspects of total stock, soil basal and substrate induced respirations, gross and net N mineralization and nitrification, and microbial biomass, microbial diversity of C utilization patterns. Further, the macroaggregates (F_{250-2000 μm}) and the C/N ratio of acid extracts of SOM physical fractions, which represented the most informative and unique variables loading on PC1, might be the most promising physical and chemical measures for SOM quality assessment of land use and management impacts in subtropical Australian forests.     

Characterisation of a humus profile under beech forest by using wet-chemistry and CPMAS 13C NMR-spectroscopy in consideration of spatial heterogeneity

Three of ten macromorphologically similar humus profiles of a Dystric Cambisol under a beech forest were randomly chosen and the litter and humus layers were characterized by wet-chemistry and CPMAS ¹³C NMR-spectroscopy. The spatial heterogeneity of the litter and humus layers was high for the bulk density and for the sugar and starch fraction; lowest coefficients of variation were obtained for the chemical shift range of O-Alkyl-C. The spatial heterogeneity of the layers did not differ by means of all chemical methods. Changes in the chemical composition at the beginning of humification were high from the fresh fallen litter (Ln-layer) to the morphologically only slightly altered litter in the L-layer, whereas the changes in the litter and humus layers from the L to the Ohf-layer were minor. However, the organic matter of the first mineral horizon was characterized by a decrease in lignin and cellulose. With wet-chemistry and ¹³C NMR-spectroscopy similar results were obtained for polysaccharides whereas results which can be attributed to changes in lignin deduced by the methoxyl content differed from each other.     

Changes in soil organic matter composition after introduction of riparian vegetation on shores of hydroelectric reservoirs (Southeast of Brazil)

This work is part of a research program with the general objective of evaluating soil sustainability in areas surrounding hydroelectric reservoirs, which have been planted with riparian forest. The specific aims were: (i) to assess if and how the soil organic matter (SOM) chemical composition has changed in such areas, and (ii) to contribute to the knowledge of SOM chemistry in Brazil. To this end, we sampled litter and soil (Anionic Acrustox) in two adjacent areas: one under native vegetation and another forested with riparian species in 1992. The native vegetation was Brazilian savannah orcerrado. In this case, it was a ‘grassy cerrado’, dominated by grasses with few shrubs. Litter was collected and humic substances were extracted from soil by an alkaline solution. Both were characterised by a combination of cross-polarisation-magic angle spinning (CPMAS) solid state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and pyrolysis-gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Eight years after forestation, the addition of the forest litter had changed SOM chemical composition. The C input pattern exerted a key role on the observed alterations. In the grassy cerrado, litter addition is predominantly below-ground and the litter is richer in carbohydrate-derived compounds and poorer in lignin moieties. In the forested area, C input is largely above-ground and grass litter has been partially replaced by a relatively more recalcitrant material. As a result, topsoil under forest was chemically strongly different from that under cerrado. Factor analysis indicated that the largest differences were between topsoil under forest and deepest subsoil under cerrado, where there is influence of remaining cerrado-derived C. Both semi-quantification and factor analysis of pyrolysis data gave further insight on the extent of alterations, but more research on such a quantitative approach should be developed to detail its application in SOM studies.     

固态13C和15N核磁共振法研究15N标记土壤的腐殖质组分

Five humic fractions were obtained from a uniformly ^15N-labelled soil by extraction with 0.1 mol L^-1 Na4P2O7,0.1mol L^-1 NaOH ,and HF/HCl-0.1 mol L^-1 NaOH,consecutively,and analyzed by ^13C and ^15N CPMAS NMR (cross polarization and magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonace).Compared with those of native soils humic fractions studied as a whole contained more alkyls ,methoxyls and O-alkyls,being 27%-36%,17%-21%and 36%-40%,respectively,but fewer aromatics and carboxyls(bein 14%-20% and 13%-90%,respectively),Among those humic fractions ,the humic acid(HA)and fulvic acid(FA) extracted by 0.1 mol L^-1 Na4P2O7 contained slightly more carboxyls than corresponding humic fractions extracted by 0.1 mol L^-1 NaOH ,and the HA extacted by 0.1 mol L^-1 NaOH after treatment with HF/HCl contained the least aromatics and carboxyls.The distribution of nitrogen functional groups of soil humic fractions studied was quite similar to each other and also quite similar to that of humic fraction from native soils.More than 75% of total N in each fraction was in amide from,with 9%-13% present as aromatic and /or aliphatic amines and the remainder as heerocyclic N.     

Use of mid‐infrared spectroscopy in the diffuse‐reflectance mode for the prediction of the composition of organic matter in soil and litter

Mid‐infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) is assumed to be superior to near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for the prediction of soil constituents, but its usefulness is still not sufficiently explored. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of MIRS to predict the chemical and biological properties of organic matter in soils and litter. Reflectance spectra of the mid‐infrared region including part of the near‐infrared region (7000–400 cm^–1) were recorded for 56 soil and litter samples from agricultural and forest sites. Spectra were used to predict general and biological characteristics of the samples as well as the C composition which was measured by ¹³C CPMAS‐NMR spectroscopy. A partial least‐square method and cross‐validation were used to develop equations for the different constituents over selected spectra ranges after several mathematical treatments of the spectra. Mid‐infrared spectroscopy predicted well the C : N ratio: the modeling efficiency EF was 0.95, the regression coefficient (a) of a linear regression (measured against predicted values) was 1.0, and the correlation coefficient (r) was 0.98. Satisfactorily (EF ≥ 0.70, 0.8 ≤ a ≤ 1.2, r ≥ 0.80) assessed were the contents of C, N, and lignin, the production of dissolved organic carbon, and the contents of carbonyl C, aromatic C, O‐alkyl C, and alkyl C. However, the N mineralization rate, the microbial biomass and the alkyl–to–aromatic C ratio were predicted less satisfactorily (EF < 0.70). Limiting the sample set to mineral soils did generally not result in improved predictions. The good and satisfactory predictions reported above indicate a marked usefulness of MIRS in the assessment of chemical characteristics of soils and litter, but the accuracies of the MIRS predictions in the diffuse‐reflectance mode were generally not superior to those of NIRS.